Fault
by ChoCedric
Summary: "Do you want to know what his last words were?" he screamed, tears streaming down his face. "He told Oliver Wood that he fought so you would finally be proud of him!" A grief-stricken Dennis Creevy confronts Harry after the final battle.


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Author's Note: Just to let you know, I do totally understand why Harry tried to stay away from Colin Creevy in the books. After all, who wants to be idolized for something they can't even remember doing, and they lost their parents in the process? But for this fic, I wanted to dive into the mindset of a grief-stricken Dennis and what he might be thinking and feeling after the war. I know it's unfair of him to blame Harry, but I know that people act out in all kinds of different ways when they're grieving.

Please let me know what you think!

Fault

By: ChoCedric

The graveyard is full of people, and they stand gathered around a hole in the ground, a hole where an angel will forever lie. There is a smell of springtime in the air, and the sun shines down on the congregation of mourners.

As Dennis looks around, he sees everyone in varying states of grief. Some are hugging others and crying, some have a few silent tears streaming down their faces, and some just stand ramrod straight, looking dazed and numb.

As for Dennis himself, he is in a state all of his own. His entire body shakes, and it's not only with grief. Tears of fury, of the most complete, violent rage he has ever felt, stream down his face. As the Minister begins to speak his last words about Colin, his brother, his best friend, his role model, he wonders how the hell this could have happened.

Hogwarts was supposed to keep everyone safe, especially those who were underage. How could they not have noticed that Colin slipped through their fingers? Did they not care about the most pure, honest soul there ever was? He can't bear to face any of the teachers, and the looks of devastation displayed so blatantly on their faces makes his blood boil even more. How dare they show up here, comemorating his brother, saying how much they'll miss him, when they couldn't be bothered to check that he had evacuated the school!

A sharp cry is ripped from his lips as he sees Colin's coffin slowly lower into the ground. His mother, who is being held up by his father, sobs brokenheartedly next to him. The deepest, darkest regret shows in her eyes, regret that she allowed her children to go to a school, to enter a world, which allowed such cruelty.

But the worst is yet to come of this vile, twisted ritual, for people then start throwing dirt on top of the coffin. When it's Dennis's turn, he refuses to budge. He won't do it, because he can't accept that his best friend is truly gone. He can't accept that he'll never see him smile, hear him laugh, hear him tell him he loves him ever again.

A few minutes later, it is done, and people start leaving. Still shaking violently, Mr. Creevy starts leading Dennis and his mother away.

But someone stops them in their tracks just as they're about to exit the cemetery, and it's the last person Dennis wants to see. There are dark circles under his eyes, his hair is messier than ever, and his face is full of grief and anguish. He looks at the Creevy family, and says softly, "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

And it is at that precise moment that Dennis snaps. All the rage, all the fury, all the anger he feels is unleashed, and he finds himself screaming.

"Sorry? Sorry? You're sorry?" he snarls into the stricken, war-torn face of Harry Potter. "That's all you can say? It's your fault he's gone, all your fucking fault!"

He hears his mother let out a shocked gasp beside him; she's never heard her sweet, innocent son swear before.

"Hey, you, leave him alone!" shouts Ron Weasley, who is flanking Harry along with Hermione and Ginny. "That was so bloody uncalled for!"

"Do you want to know what his last words were? Do you? Do you?" Spit is flying from Dennis's mouth, and adrenaline is pounding through his system. "Oliver Wood was the one who found him, and his last words were, "I hope Harry Potter is finally proud of me. I did this for him.""

Harry's face, if possible, pales even more, and he looks ill. "I ... I ..." he splutters, his voice breaking.

"Don't even bother," Dennis roars, as tears pour down his cheeks in rivers. "He fought to make you proud, because you never cared about him! Do you know how much he talked about you? Worshipped you? Wanted to be your friend? You were the representation of every fairytale we ever read as children! You meant everything to him! And you never gave a shit about him AND NOW HE'S DEAD! DEAD, AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!"

"Dennis, please ..." Hermione says, walking over to him and putting a hand on his trembling shoulder. "You don't know what you're saying. You're extremely upset right now. We know you're hurting, but you can't blame this on Harry. You don't know how much he's been through, how much he already blames himself!"

"And so he should!" Dennis howls. "Maybe if Harry had given Colin the time of day, he wouldn't have sacrificed everything to make him proud! Maybe he wouldn't be lying in a coffin six feet below the ground right now! MAYBE I WOULDN'T HAVE LOST MY BEST FRIEND!"

And then, his body no longer being able to hold him up, Dennis collapses to the ground, keening in agony. And as he lies there, what he doesn't see is Ron, Hermione, and Ginny leading a sobbing Harry away. And he doesn't know that the words he uttered will haunt Harry for the rest of his life. 


End file.
